Thermal injury by in vitro incision of equine skin with electrosurgery, radiosurgery, and a carbon dioxide laser.

The research compares the extent of thermal injury caused by three incision instruments: electrosurgery, radiosurgery, and a carbon dioxide laser on equine skin. The findings suggest that the degree of thermal damage by the electrosurgical unit and the CO2 laser is almost equal, but the latter causes significantly less injury than the radiosurgical device.

Research Design and Methods

The analysis focused on incisions made on fresh equine skin using three different tools – an electrosurgical unit, a radiosurgical device, and a CO2 laser. The injuries resulting from these incisions were subsequently examined through light microscopy, a technique that allows for the visual observation and assessment of the thermal damage extent.

Experimental Results

• With the electrosurgical unit in pure-cut mode and the CO2 laser in superpulse mode, the extent of thermal injury was noted to be equivalent.
• No significant difference was reported between the thermal injury levels resulting from electrosurgery and radiosurgery in the fully filtered cut mode.
• The CO2 laser was determined to result in significantly less thermal damage compared to the radiosurgical device.

Comparison with In Vivo Studies

The thermal injuries observed in this in vitro (performed in a controlled laboratory setting) study were similar to injuries found in in vivo (performed in a living organism) trials conducted on different species. The reliability and applicability of this research are thus bolstered by these comparable results.

Significance

These findings add to our understanding of how different surgical incision tools affect tissue, specifically equine skin. It suggests that between the tools tested, a CO2 laser might have the advantage of causing less thermal injury compared to the radiosurgical device, which could be advantageous in reducing tissue damage during procedures. Additionally, it exposes a potential area of further study regarding the thermal effects of different operational modes of these tools.